SC refuses TN's plea against Sterlite plant

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to consider a plea by the Tamil Nadu government against the National Green Tribunal's order allowing mining major Vedanta access to the administrative unit inside its closed Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin.

A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Indu Malhotra said that the NGT would hear the matter on merits and finally decide it, including the issue of maintainability.

The green tribunal had on August 9 said no environmental damage would be caused by allowing Vedanta to enter its administrative unit inside its Sterlite copper plant, closed by the state government on May 28, after police firing claimed lives of over two dozen people protesting there over environmental concerns.

The state government had challenged the NGT's order in the apex court.

Singled out

Senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for Vedanta, contended "spate of orders" were passed against the company by the state government without issuing it show cause notices.

“Vedanta's plant was shut, though there are 67 industries in the industrial complex,” he said, adding the issue was more a political one.

He also pointed out the matter was already listed for hearing before the NGT on August 20. The counsel appearing for Tamil Nadu raised the issue of maintainability of a plea filed by Vedanta before the NGT.